Department of Economics & International Development, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
EC20023 Researching social change |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Intermediate |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take EC10152 |
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Aims: The aim of this unit is to reflect critically on processes of social and economic change and how they can be researched.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students should: * show awareness of different ways in which time and space/place may be understood, and the implications this has for social structures and identities * be able to discuss the dynamics of change and continuity at macro and micro levels in at least two key areas of social and economic life * be familiar with the work of classical and contemporary theorists on power and resistance, consciousness and action, and use these concepts in exploring the dynamics within specific practical contexts * be familiar with several specific developing country contexts. Skills: * use and reflect critically on a range of social research methods * use some tools employed in social planning and research in the context of development interventions: eg logical planning frameworks; PRA methods. Content: Considering both macro and micro levels, it investigates the dynamics of change, what stays 'the same', and the outcomes of political and institutional attempts to direct and manage change. In particular, it considers classical and contemporary models of how societies change and applications of these to particular areas of social and economic life, such as health and illness (magic, religion, and science); markets and exchange; organisations and social movements. It introduces some of the core methods of social research used in Sociology and Social Anthropology, and provides students with opportunities to see how these work in practice. It builds strongly on the content of year 1 of the programme, and expects students to use the concepts and methods they learnt there. |